Ashtanga Yoga. Gregor Maehle

elbows and shoulders have a tendency to droop forward and are lifted by the action of the rhomboid muscles, which lie between the shoulder blades. The palms, especially the roots of the fingers, press together. The entire trunk still performs Samasthiti, with the spine, neck, and back of the head in line as if standing upright. Allow neither the forehead to collapse to the shin nor the chin to jut forward to meet the shin. Instead, encourage the crown of the head and the heart to reach forward toward the front big toe, while the shoulder blades and sit bones draw backward, thereby putting the entire spine into traction. Hold for five breaths.

      Vinyasa Three

      Inhaling, come up and turn to the left.

      Vinyasa Four

      Exhaling, duplicate the posture on the left.

      Vinyasa Five

      Inhaling, come up and enjoy stretching the arms as the shoulders release.

      The exhalation carries us back to Samasthiti.

       Utthita Hasta Padangushtasana

      UPRIGHT HAND-TO-BIG-TOE POSTURE

      Drishti Toes, out to the side

      Vinyasa One

      From Samasthiti, inhaling, shift your entire weight into the left foot and draw the right knee up to the chest with both hands. This intermediate position is an opportunity to “set up” for the posture. It lengthens the hamstrings over the hip joint — here check that the right hip has not been lifted with the leg and deepen the groin by releasing the psoas.

       ANATOMICAL FOCUS

       Strengthening the Feet

      Beginners often develop cramps in their feet, especially if they have fallen arches. This should not be discouraging. Cramping indicates a weakness of the foot, but this will quickly be corrected through this posture if it is performed correctly. This is important, as fallen arches stress the medial meniscus and eventually weaken the knee joint. To correct this we have to lift the inner and transverse arches away from the floor. The anatomical names for these actions are plantar flexion (pointing the foot) and inversion of the foot (turning the sole of the foot upward) respectively. We will return to this action again and again, as it is the same one that protects the knee on entering into the half and full lotus postures. The muscles that perform both actions are tibialis posterior, flexor digitorum longus, and flexor hallucis longus. All three originate on the tibia and fibula and insert on the underside of the foot.

      Establish the support of the standing leg by grounding the base of its big toe. The subtle medial spiraling achieved in the leg indicates the awakening of the abductor muscles. When you are standing on one leg, these muscles are vital in supporting the suspended hip and leg.

      The right hand reaches down the outside of the knee and “binds” the right big toe, that is, wraps two fingers around it. Place the left hand on the left hip. Now straighten the right leg, but only to a point where the back can be held upright. Sacrificing the alignment of the spine defies yogic principles. With the leg straight, lift it high and lengthen out through the inseam¹¹ of both legs. If the right shoulder has been pulled forward by the weight of the leg, draw it back until the shoulders are again square.

      

      Utthita Hasta Padangushtasana, vinyasa one (left), vinyasa two, vinyasa four, and vinyasa seven

       YOGIC CONTEXT

       Outer Structure and Inner Freedom

      Yoga Sutra II.47 says that the posture is correctly performed when the effort to perform it develops a quality of emptiness.

      What does this mean? Initially effort is necessary. Otherwise the gross body, which is tamasic by nature,⁹ will never become vibrant and alive in every aspect of the posture. Once the outer frame of the posture is achieved, we need to meditate on the inner nature of effort. When this is witnessed, it is recognized as the deep nature of all phenomena: shunya — emptiness.

      There is effort at the surface and silence in the heart; form at the surface, formlessness at the core; structure outside, freedom inside.

      Needless to say, this method does not work without first putting in the effort. Both aspects of this duality must be embraced; both need to be experienced. As Patanjali says, “abhyasa vairagyabhyam tannirodhah”¹⁰ — the thought waves cease through application of the dual means of practice and letting go.

      Check that both hips are an even distance from the floor. The hip is often pulled up to escape the hamstring stretch. Check that the standing leg is still straight. Grow tall and elongate the spine up to the ceiling as the sit bones descend to the floor. The spine has the tendency to compress from carrying the additional weight of the lifted leg.

      Vinyasa Two

      When you have managed to fulfill all the above instructions you can lean forward on the exhalation. Place the torso squarely along the front leg, without altering its position.

      Initially this position may feel awkward, but it is a powerful tool for gaining access to Uddiyana Bandha. It is, however, only effective if the alignment has been closely studied and the necessary flexibility gained. Hold this vinyasa for five breaths.

      Vinyasa Three

      Inhaling, come back upright, raising the torso.

      Vinyasa Four

      Exhaling, take the leg out to the right side while shifting the gaze to the left. It is important to do this movement without raising the right hip. Beginners can achieve this by first laterally rotating the thigh, which encourages the hip to drop but lifts the right heel into the center.

      Once the leg is out to the side, the thigh can be rotated medially to turn the heel back down. The foot is taken out to the side as far as possible and the right hip joint worked open. The aim is to bring both hip joints and the right foot into one plane, which provides a maximum stretch for the right adductor muscle group (see figure 17, page 101). This is a perfect preparatory warm-up for the next posture, Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana. The stretching of the adductors is a safety precaution for the knees, necessary for all lotus and half-lotus postures. Hold this vinyasa also for five breaths.

      Vinyasa Five

      Inhaling, bring the leg back to center.

      Vinyasa Six

      Exhaling, fold forward again onto the right leg.

      Vinyasa Seven

      Inhale and come upright. Let go of the foot and hold the leg up away from the floor. This is an important exercise for strengthening the psoas muscle (see figure 12, page 67). This action is initiated by the psoas and completed by the rectus femoris (hip flexor). Due to its origin (anterior superior iliac spine), it tends to tilt the pelvis anteriorly (forward). A tight/weak psoas also has the tendency to exaggerate the lordosis of the low back (swayback). Both of these tendencies need to be counteracted by the rectus abdominis muscle (see figure 16, page 89), which pulls the pubic bone up in front and tilts the pelvis posteriorly.

      If the abdominal muscles do not work, the leg cannot be lifted very high. Utthita Hasta Padangushtasana